Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!-Chapter 26: Mobilization
In the afternoon around the time of Shen, Huang Zhongyi brought the person he rescued by the river last time to express gratitude.
The man’s name turned out to be Qi Fei, who lives in Mao Yan Alley on the west street of the town. His employer’s surname is Chen, who runs a restaurant business in the town. Every day, he is responsible for buying or collecting the freshly hunted game with the shopkeeper.
After finishing his duties at the store, he delivers fresh ingredients to the Chen Mansion. Usually, he negotiates with the kitchen steward to ensure everything is correct before unloading the goods for storage. Originally, his job was quite good, and being clever helped him get along with everyone. He often got to take leftovers home to nourish his sickly father, and the steward did not mind.
On that day, he was delivering goods to the Chen Mansion as usual. During his time there, he had a stomachache and borrowed the restroom, only to accidentally catch the third young master and Aunt Qiu in an affair, leading them to silence him by killing and disposing of his body in the river.
Others couldn’t help but feel sympathy for this young man after hearing his story.
Only Cheng Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but sigh, "You’re really lucky to be alive after all that." Heaven truly favors this person! Could he be the male protagonist’s fate? But it doesn’t seem like it! He’s just a fine-looking young man, neither rich nor powerful, perhaps an important male supporting role?
"Miss, you jest. Because my family was poor, I followed a fisherman to learn net casting and fishing skills when I was a child, practicing my breath-holding skills by the river outside the town, never expecting it to save my life one day."
He then continued with some self-mockery, "I wouldn’t call it a life saved, perhaps half a life at most."
"So, you didn’t actually die at that time, but relied on your breath-holding skills to survive, right? You just didn’t expect those people to be so ruthless, not dumping you in a mass grave but rather throwing you into the river!" Cheng Xiaoxiao filled in the gaps.
Qi Fei admired the girl internally, as she spoke with striking accuracy, "Correct, they tossed me into an area with an underground river whirlpool, surrounded by high walls, making it impossible to climb ashore. I struggled immensely to escape the whirlpool, swam a great distance, but as I attempted to reach the shore, I lost consciousness due to exhaustion."
As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Cheng Xiaoxiao’s family, "Thank you, benefactors, for the rescue. Otherwise, Qi Fei would no longer exist in this world."
"So what are you going to do now? In town, you’re already dead. If you dare to show up, someone would dare to kill you again." Cheng Xiaoxiao pondered that just because he couldn’t show up now doesn’t mean he couldn’t a month later.
If she could recruit a little brother, that wouldn’t be bad. Now she indeed needed manpower. Judging by this young man’s character, he seemed upright and pleasant-looking — smart, capable, more than enough to run errands!
As Cheng Xiaoxiao was contemplating how to recruit this young man, the young man offered himself on a plate.
"I can’t go back to town now. Would it be possible, benefactor, to send someone to Mao Yan Alley to inform my parents, so they don’t worry? I won’t return for the time being, but will stay in the village to repay you, hoping for you to take me in."
Cheng Xiaoxiao was excited inside but didn’t show it, "Is that okay? If you’re not at home, who will take care of your parents?"
"My mother is in okay shape, it’s just... my father’s illness requires long-term medication. However, now that I’ve lost my job, I don’t have a way, so I’ll figure something out!"
"That’s not a big deal. You can stay in the village, help with drying herbs or work the fields with my father, and I’ll pay you 200 wen each month. You can use it for your father’s treatment." Cheng Xiaoxiao offered sincerely.
"How could I accept that? I am here to repay you, just giving me food is enough, let alone getting paid." Qi Fei never expected the benefactor to be so generous.
"It’s okay. Your father’s illness is more pressing. If you feel bad, you can work for me for a few more years." Cheng Xiaoxiao continued to persuade him.
What more could Qi Fei say? He knelt down and kowtowed sincerely to Cheng Xiaoxiao, grateful beyond words for meeting such benefactors.
Before, despite receiving decent treatment, he faced high risks, constantly tense and on tiptoe around people of status and wealth, always careful to flatter and please.
In truth, he didn’t want to be a sycophant, it was just survival. Perhaps the way things are now isn’t that bad...
Cheng Xiaoxiao quickly helped Qi Fei up, "There’s no need to be so formal. We’re family now."
Family? Qi Fei’s eyes welled with tears. As the child of elderly parents with no siblings, seeing this big family felt wonderful, gaining so many relatives in an instant, "Thank you, benefactors!"
Quietly, Qi Fei vowed to repay the benefactors no matter what.
"No need for formalities. Let me introduce myself. My name is Cheng Xiaoxiao. From now on, just call me by my name. This is my father..." Cheng Xiaoxiao introduced her family to Qi Fei one by one.
However, Qi Fei insisted on calling her Miss, and despite multiple corrections, he countered with several moral principles until Cheng Xiaoxiao relented and allowed him to call her Boss Xiao, as she was more accustomed to this title.
The next day, the entire village was mobilized. Even the somewhat reluctant Clan Leader sent people to help. Cheng Xiaoxiao had thought this stubborn old man might cause trouble, but contrary to her expectations, he couldn’t resist the villagers’ enthusiasm for earning money, so he reluctantly went along.
For the first outing, both Cheng Xiaoxiao and Doctor Huang were present. Cheng Xiaoxiao had also drawn many diagrams of herbs for the villagers to watch out for. She advised them not to rush into digging when they found some but to let her demonstrate first, to avoid damaging the valuable roots. The villagers agreed, not wanting to ruin valuable herbs they found. After all, herbs meant money.
Thus, the foot of Mang Mountain came alive, startling wild rabbits and chickens into fleeing. Some bold men attempted to chase them but were stopped by Cheng Beiniu’s Guard Team.
After a day’s effort, most village women mastered the skills, while some rough men, too restless for meticulous work, repeatedly broke roots and drew complaints from the nearby women, eventually being assigned to transportation instead.
The village women were beaming with pride. See? Besides childbirth, there are things you men can’t do, and they are money-making endeavors. Their triumphant smiles nearly stretched to the sky.
Cheng Xiaoxiao never anticipated unintentionally elevating the status of village women, a case of serendipity...
For the following days, Cheng Xiaoxiao busied herself with medicine making. She taught the initial stages to the ten selected individuals, reserving the most crucial steps for herself and Doctor Huang to handle.
Some methods differed from Doctor Huang’s, which she carried out alone after everyone finished, allowing Erya to assist, ensuring she kept some secrets to herself.
During this period, Han Er brought fifty pieces of various farming tools, wisely delivering them at night and gifting Cheng Xiaoxiao a dagger sharp enough to cut through iron, claiming it as repayment of their family’s life-saving favor.
Cheng Xiaoxiao was delighted, cherishing the gift, "Ah, thank your master on my behalf; I’ve accepted the gift, and we’re even."
Eager to test it out, she suddenly remembered something, turning to Han Er, "And thank Young Master Han too, for coming out late at night. No need to see me off, feel free to leave at your convenience!"
Han Er wanted to clarify, as his surname wasn’t Han, realizing something was off with those words.
What did she mean by being even with his master?
If he reported back like this, would eldest master freeze him with his icy aura on the spot? Besides, clearing things up should be his master’s responsibility. When had his master ever been dismissed this way... Better not think about it.
